Device for automatically stopping vehicles.



v s. H. GLUXTON. DEVIQB FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FIDED JAN. 5', 1907.

v Patented May 25. 1909.

, 2 SHEET$-SHBET 1.

I Z/QE ZAZ OR 3 (k/axia BY 5) v s. 11. ULUXTON. DEVIGE FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING VEHICLES.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1907.

928,020. Patented May 25. 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

, [/VVENTOR Stopping Moving .Vehicles; and I UNITED STA SIDNEY H CL UXTON,

OF, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEVICE FOR AUTOMATlQALLY STOPPING VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma.y 25, 1909.

Application filed January 5, 1907. Serial No. 351,003.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY H. OLUXTON, a c1t1-/len of the United States, residing at \Vashington', in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Automatically do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

, a My inventionrelates to new and useful improvements indevices for stopping moving vehicles and is adapted more particle larly for use in connection with railway tracks for stopping trains and my object is to provide electromagnets and dispose the same below a portion of-the rails of the track way and connect the same with any suitable form of electric current so that when said magnets are energized the rails.

connected thereto will be magnetized and the speed of the train checked.

A further object is to provide suitable means upon parts of the railway coaches which is adapted to be attracted to the magnetized rail and form a brake.

A still further object is to provide-a suitable connection between the depending portion and the usual form of air brakes where by when the depending portion is attracted the air brakes will be operated.

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part of this. application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a track Way showing the usual form of block system in connection therewith and my improved device applied thereto.

side elevation'of a portion of the track way and a car truck thereon and showing my improved devices secured thereto. Fig. 3

is a detail plan view of a portion or aftrack way showing a plurality of electromagnets mounted. in position thereunder and, Fig. at is a side elevation of a depending shoe and means secured thereto to operate the air brakes when the shoe is attracted Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding narts throughout the several views, 1 1nd1 cates a track way and 2a switch in connection therewith, said track way and switch being constructed-iirthe usual or any'pretower with the well known block system for desp zrtphing trams. In systems of this class it Fig. 2 is aferred manner and such as are commonly used to transport railway trains.

Lochtetl at any suitable point at one side of the track way 1 is the usual form of signal "which is employed in connection is customary to display at any convenient point certain colored semaphores-or signals at, which are used for indicating to the engi-- neer of an approaching train the condition of the track between the next succeeding. blocks. If'a train is occupying the next succeeding block the danger signal is set at the tower at the beginning of the'block so that a train approaching the block will be stopped until 'th next succeeding block is cleared and in rder to positively prevent the train from entering the block or ignoring the danger signals until such time as the block is clear I provide any number of electromagnets 5 which are adapted to be located below a specified section of the track rails 6 and at any suitable distance from the tower, said electro-magnets being connected in the usual or any preferredmanner by wires 7 while each battery of magnets is connected to any suitable source of electric. Supply through line wires 8, said'wires extending through the tower and ,are operatively connected to feed wires 9.

At a point within the tower, the line wires 8 are provided with the usual form of contact points 10 which are adapted to be closed vor opened through the medium of the signal levers 11 so thatwhen the semaphores, which are operated bysaid levers, are set' as a danger signal, the signal levers 11 will engagev the contact points and complete the a circuit through, the line wires Sand electroinagnels thereby energizing said magnets v I and magnetizing thetrack rails to which the magnets-are secured so that as soon as the train encounters the magnetized rails, the

speed of the train will bechecked- In order to positively stop the tra n through the medium of the magnetized rails l secure at any'suitable point upon the train andipreferably the truck 1,2, a depending metallic shoe 13 whichniay be of any preferred construct-ion and length and [secured to the car in any preferred way and in this instance the shoe is provided with vertically w extending standards 14 which are directed tl'irough suitable bearings, 15- on the trucks 12 so that. said shoemay be i'aised'or lowered i passing through "the electro-magnets.

when desired and in order to normally hold said shoe out of engagement with the track rails G I provide the upper ends of the stand ards 14: with heads 16 and dispose around the standards lt between the heads 10 and the bearings 15, tension springs 17, said springs being employed to raise the metallic shoe 13 when released from the 'ail and hold the same normally out of engagement with the track rails. As soon, however, as the trucks move on to the magnetized portion oi the rails, the shoes 13 will be attracted and drawn intoengagement with the upper surface of the track rails .andit will be seen that 'bysutliciently magnetizing the track rails the metallic shoe will be heldwires a nd removingelectric-energy from the magnets 5 so that the metallic shoes 13 will be released-whereupon the springs 17 will elevate -said shoes at predetermined distance above the track rail when the train may again proceed on its journey. I

1t is also-customary to open and close switches from. the tower and it will be understoo'd th'atxby providing suitable contact points for the movabl portions of the switch rails the'electro-magnets 5 can be energized when either' end of thefs'witch is opened so that it will be'impossible for a train approaching the switch from entering the same and becoming wrecked, it being understood, of course, that the electro-nnignets are to'be placed a-sufiicientdistance from the ends of the switch to'allow a train to-stand upon the track way between the battery of electro-inagn'ets and the ends of the switch so that the same may move freely upon the switchif so desired.

a In orderto confine the electriccurrent to certain portions of the track rails, said magnetized rails are insulated from the remain:

'der of the track way by any suitable form of insulation 18 which is disposed between the meeting endsiof the rails and around the fish platesconnecting the same.

Any number of electro-inagnets may be employed and distributed under any number ofthe track rails and in order to simul- ,taneously magnetize allof the track rails engaged by the magnets,- the. meeting ends of the magnetized rails are electrically connected together, in any preferred manner as best shown at 19 in F1 2 3.

'As a further means ior stopping the train when thesanie is inclined to pass the danger signals, 1 have provided means for operate mg the air brakes upon the train through.

the action of theshoe l3 and in this connecbeam is pivotally secured a rod 25, the lower end of which is secured in any preferred manner-to the shoe 13 so that when said shoe is attracted to the rail the beam 2 will be rocked and the cock 'zl rotated which will result in operating the air brakes which in connection with the metallic shoe will quickly stop the train. i i

1 am aware that it is not new to direct a shoe into engagement with the track to stop the train and l am also aware that it is not new to employ an electric current for setting the brakes' upon the train, but in invention consists in disposing electro-magnets below the track rails and connecting the same with an electric current so that when said magnets are energized certain of the track rails will be magnetized and saidinagnetisin employed to attract a depending shoe and hold the same into engagement with the upper surface of the track rails and in this 'connection it will also be seen that a certain degree of attraction will be directed through the car wheels and thus aid in checking the speed of the train.

It will now be seen that l have provided means for positively stopping a train when the danger signal. is set or when the switch is open and it will also be seen that I have provided a device which may be quickly installed and at a minimum cost.

What 1 claim is:

l. The herein described means for stopping vehicles comprising the combination with supporting rails for said vehicles; of electro-magnets secured to said rails, depending shoes on said vehicles and over the rails and means to energize said magnets, *ivhereby the rails will be magnetized and the shoes attracted to andheld thereon to check the speed oi the vehicle.

2. The herein described ping vehicles comprising the combination with supporting rails for the vehicles; of electro-magnets secur d to said rails, shoes on said vehicle, means to energize said magnets whereby therails will be magnetized and the shoes attracted thereto, air pipes on said vehicles and means disposed between i said air brake mechanism on said vehicle and shoes to operate the same when the shoe is attracted. I

The herein tle ib'eiil means for step ping veli' a battery of electro magnets, means to encrgiie said magnets means for stopmeans to form an elongated terminal for] 5. The hereindescribed means for stepsaid battery whereby depending portions of the vehicle will be attracted and held in its attraeted position While traveling the full length of the battery of magnets.

at. The herein described means for stepping vehicles comprising a battery of elec- -tro-1nagnets, means to energize said magnets,

and an elongated terminal-for said battery of magnets whereby when the same is magnetized portions of the vehicle Will be attracted and held in frictional contact therewith throughout its length.

pingvchieles comprising an elongated magl5 not, means to energize said magnet whereby parts of the vehlele will be attracted and held into frictional engagement With said magnet until the vehicle is stopped.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 20 name to this speeificatioain the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

v SIDNEY H. CLUXTON. .Wi tnesses: i

C. S. FRYE, S. WV. Frrz GERALD. 

